The Return
by Madscientist-01
Summary: Shinji is given a chance to do things right. What will he do? Read and review.


Author's note: I don't own anything in NGE. This is au and happens after EoE.

Darkness.

A void.

In all directions.

There was nothing.

Then suddenly, a flash of light.

A person.

A boy.

Wearing only a white shirt and black trousers soaked with some kind of liquid, he lays there, not moving.

He stirs.

An eye opens, weakly.

His other eye opens. He takes in his surroundings.

"Hello?"

He looks around.

"Is anyone there?"

He sees the darkness. The emptiness.

He panics.

"Anybody! Is someone out there!"

"Somebody!"

A cry for help. The boy breaks down; the previous memories rushing back to his conciousness.

Misato, dying.

Auska being struck down by the mass produced evas.

Intiating Third impact.

It becomes too much.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Shinji Ikari screams out into the void. But no one is there. No one to respond to his cries. No one to come and comfort him.

He is alone.

Another flash of light.

A man in robes stands before the sobbing teen.

"Do you wish to save them?"

The man's voice causes Shinji to jump having failed to notice his arrival. He looks up at him with tears running down his face and puffy cheeks.

"What?"

"Do you wish to save them?" the hooded man repeats.

"S-save them?" Shinji asks. He's slowly stopped crying and looks at the man. "I can't do that! I'm cowardly! I'm a wimp!" He rises to his feet.

"I can't save them."

He turns to leave.

"That's where you are wrong."

Shinji stops. He turns his head to look at him.

"If you were cowardly," the figure states, "would you have not fought the angels? Would you have not fought to protect your friends?" The world around them changes to show everyone he has interacted with in the last year. Rei, Touji, Auska, Kensuke, Hikari, Misato, Ritsuko… and so on. "You are a very courageous person, Shinji. You don't give yourself enough credit." The images fade back to the void.

Shinji stands there. His face is still red from crying. 'Can I do this? He asks himself. Could I really save them all?'

"Yes."

The robed figure looms in front of him. "So, what is your answer?"

"Can I go back and save them? All of the people of my world?"

"No." Shinji almost begins to cry again. "You cannot go back to your world. It will heal in time. Another, however, needs you." He cocks his head to the side. "Do you accept?"

"Yes."

The figure nods.

"Good. However, you cannot do this alone. You will need her help." He shimmers away.

"What?" Behind Shinji, another form materializes. Two large, glowing green eyes and single horn protrude from the darkness.

Shinji turns around slowly and gasps.

"Mother."

There is another flash of light and the two disappear.

**

* * *

BOOM! **

A huge, orange robot slams into the building behind it. The office building crumbles under the giant's weight.

Ahead of the robot is its assailant. A huge monstrosity, taller than most of its surroundings and the robot that had tried to stop it.

Inside the eva, the pilot screams in pain. Rei Ayanami, the first child, is brutally injured. The pain she experiences through the feedback of the eva is more than she can imagine possible.

_I have failed. I have failed to stop the angel. It shall finally end._

* * *

"Rei!"

The scream comes from Captain Katsuragi as Unit-00 slams into a building. Around her, bridge techs try to get readings on the bio-mech's pilot.

"Status!" The purple haired woman demands.

"The eva's gone completely silent!" One yells.

"Were having trouble maintaining activation! Pilot's life signs are fluctuating!" Maya Ibuki yells.

_No, thinks the captain. We can't have just lost. Not like this._

From his position above the bridge, Commander Gendo Ikari tightens his hands. He cannot believe what he is seeing. Behind him, Sub-Commander Fuyutski stands silently.

_We weren't ready. Rei was still recovering from her injuries in Unit-00's activation and the eva itself was still being repaired. He watches as another explosion happens._

_We need a miracle, Yui, or we've lost._

Sachiel rears back his hand to deliver the final blow when another explosion occurs. There's a blinding light that blinds the angel.

"Captain, were detecting an energy buildup in front of the angel!"

Katsuragi turns to the tech. "Energy surge! What's happening out there?"

"Unknown ma'am!" The was a bright flash that followed it.

"Visual sensors offline! Were working to restore them now!"

When the sensors were restored, no one was prepared for what they saw.

"My god…"

"It can't be…"

"He, he was suppose to have been destroyed!"

* * *

From the entry plug of Unit-00, Rei's eyes widened and one word worked itself from her mouth. 

"Ikari-kun…"

* * *

Standing in front of every one was the Evangelion Test Type Unit-01. 

The beast had returned.

Sachiel had paused in his attack and seemed confused. What was this? Hadn't he been pummeling the false father when this new one appeared. It smelled of the mother but wasn't. The third angel concluded that this new opponent would not stop him and raised one of his hands, prepared to destroy it.

Sachiel struck.

Only to have his blow struck by the eva's hand. Unit-01 grabbed Sachiel's hand and crushed it. Blood oozed everywhere. The angel screamed in pain as the eva countered with another punch that sent it flying back several hundred's of feet.

Unit-01 dropped what was left of Sachiel's hand, open its mouth and let out a primal roar. The battle was on!

* * *

It seemed as if everyone was still stuck in a gaze as the eva let out a blood thirsty roar. 

Captain Katsuragi was brought out of her stupor. "W-what's the status of Unit-01!" She demanded. The bridge techs began to scramble over their keyboards.

"Unknown! Were not receiving any telemetry from the entry plug!"

"I'm not getting any life signs on the pilot!" Misato turned back to the screen.

Shinji, be safe.

* * *

Inside the entry plug of Unit-01, Shinji sat there. His head was lowered. His hands gripped the butterfly controls tightly. The pilot gritted his teeth and raised his head. 

And screamed.

The bezerker eva launched itself at the third angel. Sachiel was unprepared for the quick attack. Unit-01's left fist connect with the angel's head sending it backwards. Before it had a chance to recover, the eva swung its right one. The blow connected, sending the angel to the ground.

However, Shinji wasn't done yet.

Pressing a button on the console, the eva's left weapons pallet opened and the out slid the prog knife. Shinji willed the eva to grab it and brought it down on the angel over and over again.

Sachiel scream in pain as the knife penetrated his body repeatedly. Shinji, in his rage, noticed the angel's exposed core and redirected his attack. Already the angel seemed to figure out that it had lost and there was only one thing left to do.

Its entire body began to liquefy and latch onto Unit-01. The cracked core glowed.

* * *

From the command center in the geo front, many on the bridge gasped. 

"It's gonna self destruct!"

The explosion was huge. A large crucifix was the only thing that could be viewed by those out there.

Misato, Ritsuko, and the others watched the third angel explode. What was left was fires, smoke, and dust amongst the ruined city.

Then, a shape emerged. Two glowing eyes followed by a hulking mass. The demonic looking beast came to a stop.

Unit-01 roared victoriously.

Inside the entry plug, Shinji relaxed himself. It's over, he thought.

For now, anyways.

* * *

From within Unit-00, Rei kept watching the eva. Her last thoughts centered on the pilot. _Ikari-kun, you have returned to us_.

* * *

"Try and make contact with Unit-01's pilot." Commander Ikari called out from his perch. The others were shocked to finally see the supreme bastard of NERV finally speak but hastily complied with his orders. 

Shinji was broken from his rest when a com screen opened on his right. "Pilot of Unit-01, respond." It was his father's cold voice. Shinji glared hatefully at the man that had caused him so much pain before.

"Yes, father?" He responded, his voice as equally cold. People on the command deck were shocked to hear the young man's and his image on the screen.

"You will return to headquarters using route 3-a. Understood?" Gendo needed to know why now, after more than six months, Unit-01 and his son had returned. _It matters little, the scenario is now possible once again!'_ he thought.

Shinji didn't respond verbally. Instead, he brought his right hand up to the monitor and extended his middle finger before closing the screen. People on the bridge were shocked at the boy's response.

Gendo's face was a flame. _I will make him pay for that._

The end, for now.

So, like it? Hate it? Review it.

Sure you've got questions about this chapter. They'll be answered in chp 2.

L8ter.


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